Italian

If you can’t find mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella) for this late-summer dish, substitute fresh cow’s-milk mozzarella. Silverton sometimes serves the dish with slow-roasted tomatoes for a tangy-sweet flourish.

Chef Nancy Silverton turns the classic salad into an art form by using great ingredients. Choose sweet heirloom tomatoes, drizzle with good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, and serve with creamy buffalo mozzarella to make this simple dish sing.

“With Italian cooking, the pasta is key,” says Culina chef Victor Casanova. “I try to match the pasta with the sauce and the feel of the dish.” This light, fresh, veggie-packed entrée calls for a delicate pasta. Casanova chose garganelli, which also happens to have ridges that are perfect for grabbing onto the pea puree that serves as the pasta sauce.

Get your whisk ready for this sabayon recipe—it's the key to a custardy end product.